


Debris and Destruction

by robertsaaronsebastianskurt



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Angst, Confessions, Description of a wound, Fluff, M/M, Major Character Injury, Minor Violence, blood mention, heart to heart, serious angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-07
Updated: 2015-08-19
Packaged: 2018-04-13 09:14:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4516263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robertsaaronsebastianskurt/pseuds/robertsaaronsebastianskurt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Robert and Aaron get trapped in the shop during the village disaster and one of them is seriously injured, what secrets will be revealed and will they both get out alive?</p>
<p>Based on a prompt (Robert reveals the real reason he left the village was because Jack found out about his sexuality), plus a tumblr post.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hey pals! I feel like i have to explain how i came up with this. I had an original idea that A and R got stuck in the shop arguing over night, then i saw a post by the lovvvvely irresistiblelivesy on tumblr that inspired them to be trapped together during the disaster so I combined it with a prompt from obsessedwithmcflyandonedirection (sorry it's abit different than you originally wanted, i hope it's okay) and waalaa, here we are. This is dedicated to them <3
> 
> I'm hoping this is good, i've had so many ideas for it. Enjoy sweeties, i hope it makes up for the lack of robron this week. (Mistakes are my own) Hugs <3

Aaron was constantly fetching stuff for people and quite frankly, he was sick of it. When he worked at the garage, he was always the one sent on the coffee run (when he couldn’t persuade Dan to do it), and now at the scrapyard, Adam was bribing him with puppy eyes to go for food, whether it be bacon sandwiches or a chocolate bar. Not to mention the amount of times he’s had to run to the shop to get milk or bread for his mum. It was a fact; Aaron was a pushover.

This time was no different; Debbie begged and pleaded with him to go to the shop to get beer for later on in the night, and he’d reluctantly agreed. Part of him was annoyed that, once again, he’d let himself be pushed into something he didn’t want to do but another part of him actually wanted to get away from his cousins wedding, because the sight of the ‘happy couple’ was reminding him of what he’d recently lost, and right now, that was too painful.

But as sod’s law would have it, when Aaron walked into the shop, he immediately caught sight of the ex-lover he’d been hoping to rid his mind of and regretted wishing for space. His eyes rolled involuntarily.  

“Fucking brilliant.” He muttered quietly to himself, avoiding eye contact. He walked tensely towards the shelf currently holding the large crates of beer, appearing way too interested in the price tags.

“Carly’s not here. I’m waiting for her to come back.” Robert commented, after a few minutes of strained silence.

“I didn’t ask.” Aaron said, turning around to peer at Robert, giving him a disgusted look. As much as he despised him at the moment, whenever Aaron looked at the man in front of him, he couldn’t help the butterflies that started in his stomach or the way his legs started to shake with adrenaline.

“Just trying to make friendly conversation.” Robert leaned on the counter, casually, lifting his hands in surrender.

“Well, don’t.”

Robert stared at him, calculating for a few seconds, before saying, “You know, it’s me who should be mad at you. You’ve just blew my _whole_ world apart so I’ve literally got nothing left.”

“You should have thought of that before you tried to kill Paddy.” Aaron shot him a fake smile, straightening and turning to look at him from across the shop.

“I made a mistake but what you did, it was _totally_ unnecessary. So reign in the attitude, alright?”

“You are joking, right?” Aaron said, disbelieving. He dragged his bottom lip into his mouth and shook his head, fists clenching. “You held a gun to my head, mate. I have every right to hate your guts.”

Robert’s jaw clenched at the word ‘hate’. “You don’t hate me, Aaron. Stop lying to yourself.”

“That’s funny, coming for you. King of the closet, aren’t ya’?” Robert scoffed as Aaron continued, “Was me telling your wife about us _fucking_ not enough to prove my hate?”

“Shut up.”

“Oh, have I touched a nerve?” Aaron smirked, turning around to pick up the box of Carlsberg of the shelf, huffing at the weight. He carried it over to the till and dumped it on the desk, side eyeing Robert, who was sending him daggers. “You need your head testing, Robert.” He winked, leaning on the counter.

“You know what, Aaron? You’re just as guilty as me in all of this. I didn’t see your moral compass coming into play when you wanted my dick.” Robert smirked, patting him on the back.

“Say that again, I dare you.” Aaron crowded into his space, hissing slightly.

“Oh come on, Aaron. Don’t play the innocent party.” Roberts’ eyes flicked to his lips before smirking. “I know about your sordid past; you’re not as squeaky clean as you make out to be. It was only a matter of time before you banged a married man.”

Aaron felt something in him snap, not thinking before raising his fist and punching Robert on the left side of his face, his knuckles splitting open on impact. That didn’t stop him before he landed another punch, pushing Robert back slightly and grabbing onto the lapels of his blazer.

“You’ve got some fucking nerve.” Another blow, this time to his jaw. “I don’t even know who you are.” Aaron continued throwing several punches while Robert attempted to move back, but didn’t try to defend himself by hitting back.

“Please,” Robert cried, shielding his head. “Please, stop. I’m sorry, okay? It was out of order.”

“I can’t believe I ever loved you.” He spat.

Aaron raised his bruised fist once more, while Robert eyes went wide at his last statement but it was interrupted by the loudest noise the pair had ever heard, coming from the direction of the village hall. It was quickly followed by a flash of intense light and soaring heat.

An explosion.

Another crash.

The sound of falling.

Another bang.

A whoosh of fire.

The last thing Aaron saw was the look of fear on Robert’s face as he was thrown backwards, before the roof of the shop collapsed around him.  

…

Aaron awoke, coughing and spluttering, his whole body aching. Confusion overtook him for several moments; he couldn’t see anything except dust and rubble covering the dark space around him. There was a faint sound of electricity flickering in the background, and the occasional spark of light coming from just ahead of him. He turned his head, his eyes swimming as he went dizzy and a slight buzzing in his ears.

Another cough.

Then he remembered; he had been in the shop, and he hadn’t been alone.

“Robert?” He called, coughing. “Rob, can you hear me?” He blinked, attempting to get the soot out of his eyes that was making them water, painfully. He looked around him, his neck stiffening slightly. He could see where the entrance used to be, which was now completely blocked with rubble, glass from the door littered all around. _At least I can move my arms,_ he thought to himself as he pulled his hand from underneath a piece of slate. He had a large cut spanning from his knuckles up to his forearm, where his wedding suit was cut into shreds but luckily, he could still wiggle his fingers.

Aaron was concerned when he hadn’t heard Robert answer him. He was aware of the sound of his own stuttered breath and the clattering of his teeth. He placed his hands on the floor, pushing himself slowly so to make sure he wouldn’t go dizzy again. Blood dripped down the side of his face, landing on his already-torn wedding suit. He brought his hand up to touch the cut on his head, wincing in pain. When he brought his hand away, he caught sight of the blood, feeling hot and cold all over and going dizzy once more. He turned his head to the other side, making out the faint outline of the staircase, cracked and broken under the weight of a beam. He moved some more, trying to work out what the damage was and that’s when he caught sight of him hidden beneath the staircase, half covered by fragments of the roof, head lulling to one side. His gorgeous face now covered in cuts, a bruise forming over one whole side of his face. Whether from the accident or his earlier attack, he didn’t know.

“Robert, oh my god, Rob.” Aaron shouted, his voice thick with dust. He scrambled over the short space to reach him, scrapping his knees on the debris littering the floor. “Robert, talk to me.” As he got closer, he saw that his legs covered by a large piece of wreckage. His voice became frantic, tears welling in his eyes as he stared at his lover’s unconscious form, slouched against the wall. He put a hand on his cheek, before stroking down it to hold two fingers against the pulse point on his neck. He huffed in relief when he felt it; faint, but there.

“Please, open your eyes.” Aaron moved closer. “Robert?”

Tears began to fall as he looked at Roberts face, his beautiful face, almost as if he was sleeping soundly. Aaron put his hands on Robert’s, now sobbing in earnest, frightened and feeling very alone. “Robert, please wake up.” He mumbled through his cries. “I’m so sorry!”

More cries.

When Robert awoke, gasping for air, Aaron was quickly startled out of his misery.

“Oh my god, Robert.” He stroked his face, staring at him wide-eyed with tears staining his face.

“Aaron?” Robert blinked, taking deep breaths of air and coughing violently. “Aaron, I can’t feel my legs.” The terror in his voice made Aaron’s heart clench in fear.

Aaron peered down at Roberts’s legs, finally taking in the severity of the situation. The bottom half of each leg covered by a large piece of metal, blood leaking heavily from a large cut there. Aaron cringed, feeling himself panic. It didn’t look good, not at all. 

“Sh, you’re gonna’ be okay.” He said, looking back at him. He didn’t know if it was to reassure himself or Robert. In all the time that he’d known him, Aaron had never heard such terror in Robert’s voice, and that made Aaron more scared than he’s ever been in all his life.

Robert huffed out a laugh before crying out in pain, “It’s true what they say, then? Karma’s a bitch.”

Aaron made quiet reassuring sounds, watching as he tried to move. Robert squeezed his eyes shut, his voice stuttered, “I – I can’t b-breathe.”

“Rob-”

But Robert cut him off, looking him straight in the eyes, “Aaron, I’m s-scared.”

The vulnerability in his voice made Aaron shake in fear, not for himself, but for Robert. In that instant, he knew he had to do _anything_ to get Robert to safety. He should have been concerned for himself if the large gash on his head was anything to go by; it was still bleeding profusely. But he just wanted to get Robert as far away from the falling rocks and dangerous electric’s as possible. Aaron peered around the tiny space they were stuck in, large pieces of remains all around them, afraid that more would fall again at any moment. He couldn’t risk it, he knew Robert wouldn’t survive if anything else were to fall. Maybe they both wouldn’t.

“Try and stay still. I’m gonna’ try and get us out of here.”

“No, Aaron. Please-” A groan. “-please don’t leave.” Robert looked at him, a silent tear betraying him and slipping down his cheek, making a track in the dirt covering his face. “Stay with me.” He gasped, before breathing rapidly against the agony.  

Aaron hesitated from where he’d scrambled slightly away, desperately searching for a way out before he nodded and moved back to sit beside Robert. He reached his hand over, interlacing his fingers in Roberts own, squeezing them gently. “I’m here.”

…

They’d sat there for what felt like hours, Aaron watching as Robert drifted in and out of consciousness; he didn’t have to be a qualified doctor to know that his condition was deteriorating, and fast. He was losing a lot of blood, but every time he had tried to move away in order to look for a way out, Robert would squeeze his hand tighter and mumble something about not leaving him.  

Aaron was scared. He couldn’t watch Robert die, no matter what had happened between them. He sat silently, crying whenever Robert wasn’t looking, keeping a firm grip of his hand. He knew he needed to stay calm for Robert, he had to be the brave one; prove himself as the man Robert had always believed he was. But he didn’t know if he was strong enough.

“Robert?” Aaron moved closer to peer at his face, he was barely awake. “Robert, I need you to stay awake for me.”

“M-awake,” Robert head lulled against his chin as he tried to look at Aaron, his voice slurred with sleep, “Don’t worry.”

“I’m gonna’ get you some water, okay. Stay there.”

“Yes sir,” Robert laughed gently before coughing and groaning. “Good job we-“A sharp intake of breath “-got stuck in a shop.”

Aaron smiled weakly, crawling away towards the fridge led on its side that he’d spotted half an hour earlier, as his eyes had adjusted to the darkness. He pulled open the door with brute force, reaching inside quickly to knock several bottles of water from where they were held in, before letting the heavy door bang shut, glass cracking. He picked up as many bottles he could carry, shuffling back over to where Robert was propped against the wall under the staircase, head resting on a make-shift pillow made out of Aaron’s suit jacket. Aaron popped off the lid with shaky hands and brought it close to Robert.

“Here, drink.” He put the bottle to Robert’s lips, watching as his Adams apple bobbed as he swallowed the water, breathing heavily against the bottle, fighting for oxygen. Some of the water slipped down his chin, as he broke away from the bottle, resting his head back on the wall with a sigh and a gulp of air.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.” Aaron took a swig of the water, avoiding looking at Robert. He couldn’t stand to see the pain etched on his face, all pretence of being strong for Aaron failing miserably.

“You know, t-the amount of times I get beaten up,” Robert took a long pause to catch his breath, “you’d think I’d be used to the pain by now.”

“Yeah, well, I think this is a lot worse than being beaten up, Robert.” Aaron laughed, head throbbing.

“Debatable.” Robert looked at him, eyes drooping slightly. “M-so tired.”

“You can’t sleep, now. Someone will be coming for us soon.”

“For you, maybe. N-not for me,” Robert shifted slightly, discomfort showing on his face. “Everyone hates me now.”

“No they don’t, Robert. They’re just sick of the _lies_ , the manipulation.” Aaron sighed. “But they still l-love you.” Aaron stuttered slightly on the word ‘love’, worried he would be betraying his own feelings. Robert turned to look at him, wincing in pain slightly.

“You know? I’ve never actually told anyone the real reason I left,” Robert sniffled, struggling to talk loudly, his breath thin “Obviously I lied about it. That’s who I am, right?” Aaron just stared at him, searching his face for any signs that he might be making a joke, but his face was deadly serious.

“Well, for once in my life, Aaron, I’m gonna’ be honest. With you.” Robert whispered, his face the picture of misery. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for something he’d never done before – bearing his soul to the person he loved. “You know what everyone else thinks, r-right? You’ve heard that?” When Aaron nodded, Robert continued, “Well, I won’t bore you with g-going over it again. But I’ll just say that _that_ wasn’t the truth.” Robert looked at him, gauging a reaction. Aaron’s face remained impassive. Robert moved slightly, which pulled on where his leg was still trapped, causing more blood to gush from the wound. Robert eyes squeezed shut and he buried his face in Aaron’s jacket, screaming out in pain.

“Robert, oh my god.” Aaron fused over him, tears falling, pushing the hair back from his sweaty forehead. “Try not to move or talk. You need to save your strength!”

“No, Aaron. I need to t-tell you this.” Aaron looked at him wide-eyed; he’d never heard such insistence and desperation in Robert’s voice so he nodded at him to continue. He watched as Robert panted and whimpered, trying to muster the strength to talk.

“I had this f-friend, his name was Sam.” Robert smiled, fondly. “But, I’ll cut to the chase…we used to fool around.”

Aaron’s jaw clenched, feeling the familiar pool of jealously settle in his stomach. It’s not like he didn’t know Robert had been with other men, he’d flat-out admitted it that time in the barn, but that didn’t make hearing it any easier. Aaron was never quite sure if he was the only man Robert ever loved; but something about the possibility that he might not have been hurt like hell.  

“ _Why_ are you telling me this?”

“I might not get the chance to tell anyone the truth.” Robert smiled, weakly. “I don’t want you thinking that I’m all b-bad, Aaron. One thing that I c-could, ah, always count on between us was that I could confide in you.”

Aaron wiped away more tears falling from his eyes. “Rob, please…”

“Anyway,” Robert said, staring ahead with a faraway look in his eyes, “One day, we w-were doing the _deed_ and my dad walks in, catching us at it. I was a little shit back then, as I’ve told you.” Aaron smirked and nodded thoughtfully, remembering some of the stories Robert had shared about his colourful past as a young adult.

“Yeah, I remember.” Aaron helped Robert sip more water when heard his voice thinning. He sipped it gently, murmuring a small ‘thank you’ before continuing with his story.

“I gave him ten tons of shit trying to defend myself. But he wouldn’t listen, or talk to me so I r-ran off in a fit of anger and got drunk at the quarry,” Robert shook his head, “When I got back, he’d packed u-up, ah, all my stuff.”

Aarons gasped, but stayed silent. Robert continued; “He told me I should be ashamed of myself, that I was disgusting and that it was unnatural, what I’d done. I begged and pleaded but he told me I should leave because he couldn’t stand to be around me. And he, uh… he said he was ashamed to have me for a son.” Robert went quiet, tears falling silently from his eyes, and his shoulders began to shake.

Aaron finally saw what had been eating Robert alive for all these years. The anger and resentment towards his father had built up and turned him into the person he was today; the person who puts up walls, manipulating and lying so that no-one can tear them down again. The person who can’t admit who he is in fear that he would be rejected so he pretends to be someone he’s not. The person who would do absolutely _anything_ , in order to protect his secret, including violence. Aaron finally understood what he’d been trying too from the minute he’d met Robert; he finally understood _why_ he wouldn’t admit who he truly was.  

“I’m so sorry.” Aaron stared at him, before moving in to wrap his arms around him, careful not to jilt him in any way that would cause him more pain. Aaron knew the struggle of being ashamed of who you are, but he’d always had people supporting and encouraging him not to hide who he is, but Robert had no-one. The one person he could have trusted with this secret had shunned him, rejected him and that made Aaron sick to his stomach. Robert hesitated before bringing his arms up to wrap tightly around Aaron’s waist, head buried in his neck. Aaron felt as Robert’s shoulder continued to shake as sobs wracked his body. Eventually, Aaron untangled himself from Robert but didn’t go far, reaching to grip onto his hand tightly.

Robert took a deep breath before talking, once more, “This is why I-I can’t admit it, Aaron. Not even to myself.” He paused, contemplating whether to continue. “So, when I met you, I tried to fight it. Every time I thought about you, I heard my dad’s voice chipping away at me telling me how disgusted he would be, but I couldn’t help it. I f-fell for you-” Robert’s eyes softened, watching Aaron’s face. He whined in pain, provoking Aaron to make reassuring sounds once more.

“-I didn’t mean too, and that’s why I p-pushed you away all those times. In the e-end though, I figured it would be okay to carry on as long as no-one else found out like my dad did. And it _was_ , it was fine until Katie found out, and then I saw my whole family being disgusted and ashamed of me. I would lose everyone all over again.”

Aaron looked at their clasped fingers, shaking and holding back even more tears.

 “I-I know it’s n-not an excuse, Aaron. But you have to believe me, I didn’t know she would fall, I swear. I’m not a murderer.”

Aaron was silent for a long while, turning over what Robert had said in his head. Robert didn’t want to continue, even though he had much more to say, but he didn’t want to rush Aaron, to force him to forgive him, so he was content to wait as Aaron came to terms with what he’d just shared.

When Aaron looked over, Robert’s eyes were closed but he could see that his chest was still moving up and down so he told himself not to panic before whispering, “I believe you.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Robert and Aaron make it out of the building?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HIII. I'm so sorry this took me so long but i've been really struggling with this chapter (as you'll probably know if you follow my tumblr) I'm going to apologize now for any continuity errors, i really struggled to make it seem plausible with the whole explosion/helicopter so i beg u all, just go with it;) I thought i best post it now before i delete the whole thing in a rage and go and weep in a corner!  
> Your comments on chapter 1 meant the world to me, i was so overwhelmed!! so thank you:)  
> I love you all so much, robron family<3

After his confession, Robert didn’t say anything more; whether it’s because he didn’t want to overstep any boundaries, giving Aaron space or purely because he _couldn’_ t talk, Aaron didn’t know. Being lost in his own thoughts, Aaron didn’t care much for the silence, too overwhelmed with thoughts of a younger Robert, scared, alone and rejected by the one person he loved most in the world.  

“Hey, Aaron, you still w-with me?” Robert whispered, panting heavily.

Aaron startled from where he’d been sat with his eyes closed, quickly sitting up on to his knees in front of Robert, “Yeah, what’d you need?” He scanned over his body with for signs that his condition was worsening. When Robert didn’t answer, instead lying with his eyes closed, Aaron started frantically shaking Robert’s shoulders.

“Jeez, calm down. I w-was just checking you were-“Robert coughed, “-okay.”

“Are you serious? I thought there was something wrong!”

“What? Other than the fact t-that, ow, my legs are trapped?”

Aaron looked away, embarrassed. He didn’t know what to do, or say in this situation, and he felt the calm he had built up slowly start to crack.

“Hey,” Robert said quietly, looking over at Aaron with eyes that were fluttering as if it was a struggle to keep them open, “I was joking.” He reached a hand over slowly, scrapping through the rubble, unable to lift it fully due to the lack of blood loss, to place it over Aaron’s which lay nearby. Aaron’s shoulders began to shake as tears dripped down his cheek, making small spots on his mucky white shirt. He gripped onto Roberts hand as if it were a life line. 

“Robert, I can’t just sit here and watch you get worse.” Aaron said, hiccupping through his tears.

“I d-don’t want you-“He groaned “-hurting yourself trying to find a w-way out. They’ll come for us.”

“Fine,” Aaron sighed, “but if you won’t let me try and get us out, at least let me take a look at your leg?” Aaron wiped at his eyes with his sleeve. For the entire time they’d been trapped, Robert would try and distract him every time he tried to take a look at his leg, sometimes with conversation, sometimes by asking for water. Aaron couldn’t tell how severe the damage was, but from looking at the way Robert was, he guessed it was really bad.  

Robert shook his head, before crying out and doubling over. “No, I’m f-fine.” He managed to stutter out.

“No, you’re not!” Aaron shouted, the fear making him angry. “Please, Robert?”

Robert shook his head once more, but stayed silent and Aaron took this as a permission that he was allowed to look. He moved round to the left side of Robert, where the brunt of his injury was, and gasped at what he saw. Blood was pooled around an open wound spanning the entirety of Robert’s thigh, revealing a piece of shattered bone, the remaining parts of his legs hidden by a slab of the roof. The sight made Aaron feel nauseous but he choked it down, looking back up at Robert’s face.

“V-verdict, Dr. Livesy?”

Aaron stayed silent, wondering whether to tell him the truth; in his honest opinion, he didn’t understand how Robert was still conscious, or even _alive_. “It’s not that bad.” He shrugged, faking nonchalance. 

Robert chuckled, choking on his breath slightly. “You always were a bad liar.”

They caught eye contact, charged with an unknown emotion and with that one look, no words were needed. Robert knew what Aaron thought; he thought he was going to die, plain and simple. Robert felt scared for a moment, before quickly accepting the fact that these minutes might be his last, and that he needed to find a way to atone for all the pain he’d caused; not just to Aaron, but too his family, and too Chrissie.

“A-Aaron.” Robert said, “I’m so sorry.”

Ahead of them, they heard the building groan, as if there was a great weight resting on top of it. Aaron jumped slightly, shocked at the loud noise in the eerie darkness.

“Sh, you don’t have to say anything.” Aaron replied, not taking his eyes of where the sound had come from.

“No, I need too.” When Aaron didn’t say anything, head still turned away, Robert whispered, “Aaron, look at me.”

Aaron turned his head to stare into Robert eyes, fear evident on his face.

“I didn’t mean what I said before. You know, when we were a-arguing. I was just saying to hurt you, so you’d feel how I was feeling.”

“You didn’t think that I’d be hurting too?”

“You know me, Aaron. I d-don’t think about a-anyone else.” He laughed, but it carried no humour.

“I was so angry, Robert. So angry. I had to see you hurt the way I was hurting. That’s why I told Chrissie.”

A single tear slipped down Robert’s cheek. “I don’t blame you for what you did. It was less than I deserved for what I've put you through.” Robert huffed, “Even though I was angry that you blew the affair, I a-actually feel like a great weight has been l-lifted off my shoulders.”

Aaron smiled despite himself. Robert continued, “I spent a-all that time, lying and protecting t-this secret, and when it was out, I wondered w-what I’d been so afraid of.”

“All’s you had to do was choose me, Robert, we could have avoided all of this.”

“I know.” Robert said. “I wish I had.” Robert had whispered the latter part, so Aaron wasn’t sure if he’d heard properly.

“About Paddy-“

“No. We don’t have to talk about this now.” Aaron interrupted, beginning to cry once more.

“Yes we do, Aaron. I might not get the c-chance.”

“Don’t say that,” Aaron pleaded, lip trembling. “Please, stop talking like you’re gonna’ die.”

“It’s only w-what I deserve.”

“Robert, please.” Aaron dug the heels of his hands into his eyes, trying to stop them from burning with tears.

“I can’t d-“Robert faltered at the word, that dreaded word that they were both knowingly avoiding, but continued nonetheless, “-knowing that you hate me. I need to make it right, Aaron! I need too.”

“You will, Robert. You will.” Aaron scooted closer to him, caressing his face gently, murmuring these words over and over. Robert saw that Aaron was scared, and he decided that as much as he needed to confess and make amends for all the wrongs, now wasn’t the time for Aaron to hear it. He decided that if these were going to be his last moments, then he'd accept the fact that he couldn't say what he needed too, especially if it meant that Aaron was comforted.

“Come here.” Robert inclined his head, a gesture that Aaron understood well. He moved into Roberts’s side, careful of his wounded torso, and rested his head lightly on his shoulder. “I know this is a-a lot to ask and you don’t have to answer now, but c-can you ever forgive me?” Robert knew it was selfish to ask, but he had to know. If he was gonna’ die, then he wanted to die with the knowledge of whether Aaron would’ve ever forgiven him for his crimes.

“In time, yes.” Aaron whispered into the darkness after a heavy silence.

They led like this for a long time; Minutes? Hours? Days?  They didn’t know, and they didn’t care. What they both needed now was the comfort of each other’s arms as they waited for their absolution. Being in Robert’s embrace made Aaron that little bit less scared for what was to come. Contrary to their surroundings, Aaron felt safe, as he always had and always would in Robert’s company.

Aaron stirred when he felt Robert’s breathing slow significantly, his chest seemingly shaking with the effort of drawing air in and out of his lungs. Aaron _had_ noticed that the air was becoming thinner, even _he_ was finding it difficult to breathe normally in these stifling conditions. When Aaron turned his head from where it had been resting on Robert’s chest, he saw that he was sweating profusely, with his eyes squeezed shut and his face crumpled in pain. He moved out of his arms, searching anxiously for something he could do to stop the inevitable.

He looked down at his dress shirt for a second before tearing off a section of it with some difficulty, revealing part of his stomach that had a yellowing bruise spanning across it, disappearing underneath his trousers. He doused it in water, pushed Robert’s damp hair away from his forehead, and held it against him. Beads of sweat were running down Robert’s face and pooling in the space where his collarbones met. His eyes were heavily lidded, Robert struggling to open them, and when he did, his vision swam.

Robert had resorted to mumbling Aaron’s name, head swaying from side to side. His paling complexion was revealing dark, red circles beneath his eyes that, by the looks of things, had nothing to do with the disaster. Aaron was witnessing as the life was draining out of Robert, and he refused to sit there and accept it, as he’d done once before with a different man. He didn’t think anyone would find them in time, certainly not in time to save Robert. As far as he knew, nobody knew where Robert was. He wasn’t sure of the reason Robert was in the shop in the first place, but he couldn’t imagine that he’d told any of his family where he was going, seen as they had pretty much abandoned him after what he’d done to Chrissie.

Debbie knew where _he_ was, but who was to say she had got out of the disaster unscathed? For all he knew, Debbie could have been slap bang in the middle of the disaster and with his knowledge of this village, he was pretty much certain that the venue of her wedding was where the explosion had come from, or roundabout. Suddenly, Aaron was not only fearful for himself and Robert, but for his family also. He thought of his mum, trapped and scared like him, and he felt the urge to fight. He had to fight for his life, for Roberts and for his families. He’d gotten through so much, he wasn’t about to give up now.

These thoughts propelled him into action. He checked Robert’s pulse one more time, which was slow but there.  Aaron didn’t know if he’d have enough time to find a way out before Robert stopped breathing, but he had to take the risk. Either way, he had to try. He just _had_ too.

“Robert?” Aaron slapped him gently on the face to bring him round. Robert made an ‘hmpf’ sound, keeping his eyes sealed shut. “Robert, I’m going to find us a way out.”

Robert tried to argue, that much Aaron could tell from the weak shaking of his head, but words failed to form so Aaron just nodded insistently, “Yes, Robert. I’m gonna’ find a way out, then I’m gonna’ come back for you.”

Robert’s breathing became shallow, as he sat there, unmoving. Aaron wasn’t sure Robert heard him, until he mumbled something that he couldn’t quite make out.

“What?”

“Kiss. Me.” Robert whispered, brokenly.

Aaron faltered for a second, staring down at Roberts lips, which were chapped from the dry environment. Robert peered at him through partially closed eyes, a look of pleading in them, as if it was his last request, almost as if… his life depended on it.

Aaron felt the weight of his love for Robert in that moment; he saw him, scared and vulnerable in a way he had never seen before, not even a few weeks earlier on that dreaded day in the lodge. Aaron could tell that Robert believed he was dying, and for Robert to ask this of Aaron, something that could be a last wish even with the knowledge that Aaron could reject him, he finally realised that Robert _did_ love him. Of course, he’d said it, but Aaron had never believed it before. Until now.

Slowly, Aaron moved in towards Roberts lips, his eyes never leaving the dark orbs of Roberts before their lips finally met. It felt familiar, but strange at the same time, the cracks in each of their lips causing several coarse pecks between the pair, before Aaron deepened the kiss, the wetness of each other’s tongues making it easier for their lips to slide against each other passionately (or as passionate as Robert could manage in his current condition) Eventually, they stopped, but Aaron didn’t move far, resting his forehead on Robert’s, and breathing heavily.

“I’ll be back for you.” Aaron whispered, forcefully, holding onto the back of Roberts’s neck with an iron grip.

“I know.”

They stayed like that for a moment more, breath mixing, staring deeply into each other’s eyes before Aaron gave him one more light kiss and moved away to make his way through the darkness.

…

_Adam and Victoria had slipped away from the wedding to have an afternoon quickie, lost in the utter romance of the day. They were in Aaron’s car when it hit; Adam had convinced Vic that Aaron wouldn’t mind, that as his best mate and wing man, he had a duty to lend out his car for sexual relations when they were required. Adam hadn’t agreed this with Aaron, per se, but he figured what he didn’t know wouldn’t harm him. Plus, it was the nearest thing to the village hall that had comfy seats; only the best for his wife._

_“What the hell was that?” Victoria gasped from where she was led beneath Adam._

_Adam leaned up on his forearms to peer out of the window overlooking the village. “Oh my god!” He exclaimed, jaw dropping. He saw smoke rising from the village hall, a helicopter embedded within the roof with a large piece of the back end missing, and several large pieces of debris scattered in different places around the village. He watched as people came staggering out of the village hall, frozen in a state of shock. The helicopter was rocking back and forth, threatening to fall at any minute._

_“Adam?” Victoria’s voice startled him out of his shock and he moved to pull on his clothes, heart beating heavily in his chest. “What’s going on?”_

_“We need to go! A helicopter, the village hall and all the people, running.”_

_“You’re not making any sense, Adam, slow down!” She could see smoke through the window behind Adam’s head, but when she tried to sit up, the awkward position restricted her._

_“There’s been a crash, Vic! Come on.”_

_Adam and Victoria run at full speed around the corner towards the village hall, looking for their loved ones in the crowd. He found his mum screaming his name, on her knees in the grass being cradled by Cain._

_“Mum! I’m here.” He ran at full pelt into his mums awaiting arms, relief washing over him in waves. He looked over her shoulder to see several of his neighbours clinging onto each other for dear life. However, his best friend and business partner was strangely absent. Worry crept in quickly before Adam shook it off, believing that Aaron would have sneaked off somewhere to get away from the lovey-dovey vibes of the wedding, probably already at some gay-bar downing a pint and sizing up potential suitors._ He’ll be okay _, Adam told himself,_ and he’s a survivor _._

_Meanwhile, Chas was stumbling around the outside of the destroyed building, holding her throbbing head and looking around in confusion. For several moments, she didn’t understand where she was or how she’d got there. Then, she realised. She’d been in the village hall, dancing merrily with Cain, when a helicopter had brought down the ceiling around them. Her thoughts steadily moved to her son, and she started frantically searching her surroundings._

_“Where’s Aaron?” Chas shouted, “Has anyone seen my Aaron?!”  She ran the length of the village hall, looking for him amongst the crowd of people, but without any luck. She sprinted towards Adam, who was still being supported in Moira’s arms, murmuring comforting words in her ear._

_“Adam? Adam!” He looked towards her, his face showing signs of shock._

_“Chas! Thank God you’re okay!”_

_“Have you seen Aaron? I can’t find him anywhere!”_

_“No, I haven’t seen him since this morning.”_

_They were both momentarily distracted from where Cain and Pete were carrying out Debbie’s semi-unconscious body from the front door of the building, long locks flowing around her. They placed her gently on the grass, fussing over her. She was awake and mumbling when Chas, followed by Adam and Vic, rushed to her side and fell to her knees next to her._

_“Debs! Are you okay?”_

_She inhaled deeply, before whispering, “I’m fine.”_

_Chas was crying in earnest now, the shock finally setting in as she stared at Debbie’s dirt-covered face. On top of that, there was still no sign of her missing son._

_“Cain!” She shouted, to get his attention, “Have you seen Aaron?”_

_Cain still wouldn’t look at her, eyes focused on something above her head, but Chas couldn’t focus on that. She could only focus on Debbie who was trying to say something. Wheezing sound were coming from her throat every time she attempted to speak, but still she tried._

_“Sh, babe. Don’t try and talk.” She pushed hair away from her neck._

_“No.” She managed to say, before drawing in a painful breath, “Aaron.”_

_Chas’ eyes widened, “What?! What about Aaron? Debs?”_

_“Aaron.” She coughed violently. “At shop. Sent him there.”_

_“When?” Adam cut in from where he’d been listening intently._

_That’s when Cain inhaled sharply, causing Chas to look up at him and everything seemed to happen in slow-motion. Several of Aaron’s beloved turned towards where Cain was now pointing, towards where the shop_ used _to be, Debbie bending her head backwards towards the sky with great effort, to see what had Cain frozen on the spot._

_Victoria gasped._

_Chas screamed._

_Debbie sobbed._

_Adam ran._

_He ran at full pelt towards the shop, fear shaking him to his very core. When he got there, he saw that the entire front of the shop caved in from where it had been crushed under the weight of the back end of the helicopter, along with a large hole in the roof of the living accommodation above, dark smoke billowing out in waves. No-one could make sense of what had happened, but it seemed that when the helicopter had been hit mid-air by something, causing the tail end to break off and fall in the direction of the shop, crushing under the impact of such a large piece of metal, whilst the rest of the helicopter had cascaded into the village hall._

_“Aaron!” Adam screamed as the rest of them arrived. “Aaron! Can you hear me?”_

…

Aaron had crawled his way up the stairs into what used to be David and Alicia’s flat, cautious that panels were weak and any harsh movements might cause them to fall onto where Robert was lying below. When he’d got what was remaining of the flat, he coughed harshly at the amount of dust. He could barely see anything, just the faint outline of the walls and something large embedded in floor. He crouched low to the floor, using his hands to feel out the way, his eyes stinging.  He saw the light of fire out of the corner of his eye and felt the heat on his face. He started shaking until ahead of him, he saw a glimpse of light, which spurred him on to crawl faster, his eyes never leaving it. _The faster I get outside_ , Aaron chanted in his head, _the faster I get help for Robert_. He maneuvered around the several holes spanning the floor that revealed the shop below. Aaron couldn’t look, and he couldn’t stop. He had to stay focused.

When he reached the small crawl space, he felt the fresh air on his face and breathed in deeply. He wiggled his body through the hole, catching sight of the street below. His vision was fuzzy, taking a while to adjust to the light, but when it did, he caught sight of a few familiar faces,

“Help me!” Aaron screamed.

Several faces rotated quickly to search out the location of the voice. When they spotted Aaron, leaning out of a small hole in the roof, they all shouted at once, relief evident in their voices.

“Someone get something. Get him down!” She stared up at the face of her son, hope clutching at her heart. She watched as Adam, Cain and Ross ran into the woolpack and returned with a giant sheet.

“Chas, grab the other end!”

She ran to where the 3 men had straightened out the sheet, just below where Aaron was above them, and gripped onto the end tightly.

“Hold it up high!” Cain instructed. “Aaron, you’re gonna’ have to jump.”

“I can’t.” Aaron was shaking, terror in his eyes.

“Come on, mate. You can do this.” Adam caught eye contact with the man he’d come to love with a fierce passion over the years, and he saw the ultimate trust in his best friends eyes. Aaron closed his eyes tightly, and took a deep breath, before leaping into the air.

He landed on his back, in the middle of the giant sheet, where it concaved under the pressure of his weight. They lowered it slowly to the ground, where Aaron led, staring up at the sky and thanking God that that had worked. He pulled himself up into a standing position, once again, fast-moving when he remembered that his goal was to get help for Robert, which had a time-limit.

Chas enveloped him a tight hug, muttering her relief into his ears. She pulled back to look over his face, her hands resting on his cheeks.

“Oh my god, love. I was so worried! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine.” Aaron said, distracted.

“What’s the matter?” Adam asked, putting his arm around him, casting him a concerned glance.

He turned to look at Victoria’s innocent face, then back at the face of his family, before saying, “Robert’s in there. We were talking and then it was just… the roof just collapsed around us.”

“And you just left him in there?” Victoria said, hysterically.

Aaron looked at her again, nothing but sympathy in his eyes. “Vic, I’m so sorry.”

“What? What is it, Aaron, tell me?!”

“He’s really bad. His legs are trapped, and he’s-.” Aaron couldn’t continue, doubling over and retching, overwhelmed with misery. Chas laid a comforting hand on his back.

Victoria stopped breathing, looking as if all of the oxygen had been ripped from her lungs. She put a hand to her chest, gasping for air before falling into Adams arms, sobbing loudly. When Aaron had recovered, he went to Victoria’s side, lifting her chin and looking her in the eyes, “We’ll get him out, I promise.”

Victoria moved into his embrace, crying into his shoulder.

“Where are the emergency services?” Aaron asked over her shoulder.

“We’ve phoned. They should be on their way.”

“How is everyone?” Aaron nodded towards the village hall, “Has anyone di-“

“No, no. Everyone managed to get out in time.” Chas nodded reassuring, not wanting to worry him with his cousins bad condition and Aaron breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Thank God.” He moved Victoria back towards Adam, who shot him a grateful glance.

Suddenly, the building in front of them groaned loudly, a dust cloud rising from the roof as if something had just fallen, while flames began to crawl out of the building, illuminating the street in an orange glow. Aaron’s heart stopped, his whole world tilting on its axis, before he made to go back towards the building.  

“Aaron, you can’t go back in there!” Adam screamed, holding onto his arm tightly. He struggled with his grip from where he was still clutching to Victoria.

“He needs me!” Aaron struggled and broke free, running towards the building as fast as he could despite feeling lightheaded. He’d promised that he’d be back for Robert; he couldn’t stand the thought of him thinking he’d abandoned him, that he’d left him in there to die, alone and vulnerable.

Ross ran in front of him, wrapping his arms securely around him and taking the full brunt of his weight as Aaron thrashed against him.

“Robert!” Aaron shouted, “Robert, I’m coming back for you!”

“They’ll get him, Aaron.” Ross insisted, pushing Aaron further away from the building as he fought against him.

“Let me go!” Aaron cried, “Let me go, now, Ross. I need to go back for him, you don’t understand, I promised.”

Around the commotion, the emergency services were arriving, a fleet of lights and sirens coming to a halt beside them. Paramedics clambered out whilst the firemen ran to assess the scene and the police placed a cordon around the scene, pushing people backwards. Aaron stopped fighting against Ross and watched, wide-eyed, as they discussed the situation.

“Why aren’t you doing anything?!” Aaron shouted towards them, “He’s in there, my bo- Robert is in there!”

“They’ll get him, Aaron.” Victoria whimpered, mirroring Ross earlier words from where she was now lay in a pile of misery on the floor, supported by Chas.

“They’re not going fast enough.” Aaron said, angrily, pushing past Ross and running back towards the wreckage.

“We need you to get back. This whole place is unsafe, please step back.”

“You don’t understand. Robert is still in there. I need to get him, I told him I’d go back for him.”

“Please step back from the building, sir.” The police woman said, calmly.

Aaron could hear the creaks and groans of the building walls, ready to collapse further at any moment. He’d been out here long enough that Robert could have stopped breathing; he had known when he’d left that it was a ticking time bomb. Adam and Ross came up behind him, latching onto his arms and pulling him gently backwards away from the line of the police cordon. But, when he imagined Robert lying there, lifeless, he wrestled against the arms holding him.

“I love him. Don’t let him die, I love him! Please, let me go!” Aaron screamed, hysterical, his throat burning.

The last thing he remembered is watching as the firemen begin to remove the rubble from the front of the shop, before his body went limp in Ross and Adams arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading, i hope it wasn't too bad lmao. Can you tell i'm not so impressed with myself for this chapter?  
> As you can see, there are some differences from what happened in canon! i forgot to mention that Carly was still around in the first chapter also. 
> 
> Come visit me at robertsaaronsebastianskurt.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> There will be moooooore:)
> 
> I decided for Rob to be the injured one, but if enough people want it, i'll write the alternative where Aaron is the one who's injured bc it was a seriously tough decision to make and i had ideas for both ways. (Sorry for the long notes)
> 
> www.robertsaaronsebastianskurt.tumblr.com


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